Search Tips

Keyword Searching

A keyword search allows you to search for a word, words or a phrase anywhere in the library catalogue record (such as author name or words appearing in the title).

It's always a good idea when searching for information on a topic to use multiple search strategies and to account for variations in language, terminology, spelling, etc.

For example: modernism and (theatre or theater)

Starts With or Browse Searching

A Starts With (or Browse) search allows you to browse a list of titles, authors or subject headings that correspond to the information you provide. This type of search is best used when you are searching for a particular title, author or subject.

Subject searches can be an effective way to find information about an author or topic.

Subject searches use Library of Congress SUBJECT HEADINGS. These are standardized headings assigned to a book to describe what the book is about. A single book may have one or, more likely, several different Subject Headings.

Subject headings work pretty much the same way tags work on social networking or photo sharing sites: you can click on a subject heading to find other books on the same or similar topic (the same way you can click on a tag to find more photos of kittens).

To search by Subject in the Library Catalogue, click the Starts With button and then select LC Subject from the drop-down menu.

Useful Subject Headings when searching for information about an author and/or his or her works include:

Name of author (Last name, first name)
Name of author (Last name, first name) -- Criticism and interpretation.
Name of author (Last name, first name). Title of a specific work.